In a contest finishing just hours before Halloween, junior forward Sarah Rambus’ strong play in Oregon women’s basketball’s 113-26 exhibition win over Western Oregon may be the scariest thing in the Oregon stratosphere.
The Ducks’ revamped offense was on full display in their lone preseason tuneup, where Avary Cain hit five 3-pointers and Astera Tuhina (11 points, five assists) showcased impressive patience and savvy. Still, it was Rambus who shone the brightest and benefited from the team’s improved pace, finishing with 28 points on 10-17 shooting in just over 15 minutes of action.
“She can really run the floor,” Graves said of Rambus. “I think she’s shown as much improvement as anyone else. We just have mobile posts so we can just run a little bit more, we decided this is the way we are going to attack this year.”
Granted, the Wolves are a far inferior opponent, and Oregon has size and shooting unlike any team WOU will play this year. Still, there was plenty for Graves to be happy about in the team’s final game before beginning the season next Monday.
There was Cain (15 points), who got to her spots from range while proving to be an effective outlet option for Oregon’s guards. Transfer forward Mia Jacobs (nine points, six rebounds) also played well, serving as a Swiss Army knife on defense and showcasing an impressive touch from the field.
“That’s what she can do,” Graves said of Cain. “She’s had a great fall… it was unexpected for her to hit five but it’s great to see that.”
But Rambus was the star of the blowout, showcasing her feathery mid-range jumper and hunting mismatches in the pick and roll.
“My finishing [is a lot better] my balance, I’ve been working on that a lot in the offseason too,” Rambus said.
Oregon substituted freely throughout, with the entire starting lineup coming in and out in five-person shifts for a good portion of the game. The Wolves didn’t score until the 5:41 mark in the first quarter and were no match for Oregon in what basically served as an extended scrimmage.
“We hope that continues,” Graves said. “Obviously the game got out of hand but I like to think we have a lot of depth.”
After the 12-point first quarter, Oregon allowed six, seven and 11 points in the remaining three frames, zeroing in on Kylani Rookstool and Triniti Youngblood (10 points each) while forcing 23 turnovers.
“We actually played relatively clean basketball,” Graves said. “It’s nice to build on that.”
Graves is gambling on Rambus breaking out in 2025. Oregon notably doesn’t roster a player over 6-foot-4 after the departure of longtime center Phillipina Kyei, who was also in attendance while Rambus took center stage.
“She’s grown a lot upstairs,” Graves said. “You don’t really see players like this who take smaller roles, that’s something we’ve kind of lost in this transfer portal era. I don’t know if she’s going to get 28 every night but she’s been great.”
For one night, against a far inferior opponent, it seems like a well-placed bet.
Oregon begins its season on Monday against West Georgia at Matthew Knight Arena, with tip set for 6:00 PM.
